Are you looking to expand your team or make your first hire as a business owner? Make sure you prioritize diversity in your recruiting and interviewing. Diversity boosts creativity and innovation, leads to better decision-making, and results in a more professionally enriching environment, according to Forbes. What’s more is that 3 in 4 jobseekers say diversity matters when they are considering job opportunities.

Ted Kitterman, a content manager for Great Place to Work, says that an expanded candidate pool can not only help you accelerate your ability to problem solve now, but it can also help you meet future challenges. The problem, though, is that many workplaces are stuck using old practices and traditional hiring processes that all but encourage jobseekers to withdraw themselves from consideration.

What can leaders do to get more diverse candidates to apply? Start by making some important but doable changes to your hiring process. We share Kitterman’s guidance in this issue of Promotional Consultant Today.

1. Highlight the big picture in job descriptions. Instead of zeroing in on role requirements, which can cause some potential applicants to turn away, focus on the overall mission of the position. How will this role help the organization? How can they apply their skills in their work? By trying to connect with a candidate’s passion, you are more likely to get a genuine response to your posting, Kitterman says.

2. Leave off unnecessary degree requirements. Unless you really need applicants to have a specific degree, it’s best to leave it off the job description. This can help you attract a wider and more diverse pool of candidates. Plus, during a competitive job market amid the Great Resignation, many employers drop education requirements. You can help your business stay competitive by doing the same.

3. Trust your gut. In other words, begin looking beyond the credentials you see on a piece of paper or on a screen. Do you have a good feeling about a particular candidate? Do you feel an applicant would make a great fit with your team? Leaders who conduct a gut check, which could be a simple sit-down for 15-30 minutes, are often better able to evaluate an applicant’s success potential within the company.

4. Expand your search. You can also help ensure your talent pool is as diverse as possible by seeking candidates in different places. If you typically find jobseekers using the same platform, branch out. The more places you look for candidates, the more chances you have of finding qualified talent who can also bring diverse viewpoints.

Organizations benefit from having the different viewpoints and perspectives a diverse team brings. If you want to focus on attracting more diverse jobseekers to your open roles, start by adjusting your job descriptions. Be sure to remove any degree requirements that may deter people. Also, listen to your gut when it comes to interviewing. Look for someone who will be a great fit, even if they don’t necessarily check all the boxes. And finally, when you want to make your talent pool more diverse, widen your outreach from the start.

Compiled by Audrey Sellers

Source: Ted Kitterman is a content manager for Great Place to Work.